What Is Medical Gaslighting, and How Do You Know If It’s Happening to You?

Gaslighting. You’ve probably heard the term used when talking about toxic relationships. It’s when someone influences you into questioning your own thoughts and feelings. And it can cause you to feel belittled or ignored. 

This kind of dynamic can exist outside of personal relationships, too. For instance, have you ever had a legitimate medical concern dismissed by a healthcare provider? Did it result in a serious medical condition going undiagnosed for longer than it should? You may be surprised to learn that this can be a type of gaslighting, too. 

As more people share their personal experiences, the term “medical gaslighting” is being used to describe these situations. Medical gaslighting can lead to missed diagnoses, improper treatment, and even medical trauma. It can happen to anyone, but it’s been shown to happen more frequently to women and people of color.

Here, we will dive deeper into medical gaslighting — what it is and how to know if it's happening to you.

What does medical gaslighting mean?

The term “gaslighting” originated from the movie “Gaslight”. It describes when one person dismisses what someone else says, making them doubt themselves.

Medical gaslighting is when a healthcare provider dismisses your complaints or concerns. They don’t seem to take you seriously or blame your symptoms on a vague cause (such as stress). And they may send you home without a proper diagnosis or treatment plan.

If a healthcare provider isn’t listening to you or taking your symptoms seriously, they may miss a diagnosis. In some cases, delayed diagnosis and treatment can have serious consequences for your health. 

But medical gaslighting isn’t always intentional. Many factors influence it, including different forms of unconscious bias. Unconscious bias is a preconceived notion that someone has regarding certain races, genders, or various social groups. 

For those who’ve experienced medical gaslighting, it can be very traumatic. You may even start second-guessing your own symptoms. This can create a very difficult situation, especially if your symptoms are interfering with your daily life. But it’s important to remember that your concerns are valid and deserve proper attention and care. 

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What are examples of medical gaslighting?

Certain groups of people may be more likely to experience medical gaslighting. This includes women, people of color, and those living with chronic conditions.

Medical gaslighting in women

Women are one of the most common victims of medical gaslighting. Many times, they’re told their symptoms are due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or mental health issues, no matter how severe they are. 

In the past, women were even diagnosed with “female hysteria” as a cause of their symptoms. Although this diagnosis is outdated, gender bias in healthcare still exists. 

A few examples of this bias include:

• Spending more time waiting in the emergency room for the same conditions or symptoms as men

• Conditions like endometriosis going undiagnosed until after having surgery, despite multiple visits with healthcare providers

• Heart disease symptoms being misdiagnosed as a psychological condition

Medical gaslighting based on race

People of color are also frequently affected by medical gaslighting. This is often rooted in racism — a public health crisis that has resulted in significant health disparities. 

For example, unconscious bias about race may influence how medical conditions are treated in certain people. This includes healthcare providers:

• Believing that Black people have thicker skin and less sensitive nerve endings

• Believing that Black people are biologically different from white people

• Being over twice as likely to use a negative descriptor in the Black patient’s chart compared to a white patient

None of these beliefs and behaviors are based in truth, and yet they still persist. 

In practice, medical gaslighting can have devastating consequences. In Dec. 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Susan Moore, a practicing physician, posted a video saying she was being denied medication for her COVID-19-related chest pain. While in the hospital, she said, she had to beg her healthcare provider to take scans of her chest, since they didn’t believe her symptoms. When she finally got a scan, it confirmed problems in her lungs. 

“I put forth, and I maintain, [that] if I was white, I wouldn’t have to go through that,” Moore said in the video.

Moore died from complications from the virus 2 weeks after being discharged from the hospital, the New York Times reported at the time. Sadly, there are many cases similar to Moore’s. 

How do you know if you are experiencing medical gaslighting?

Sometimes, medical gaslighting is very obvious. However, it’s not always easy to spot. It can be as simple as your healthcare provider telling you that your symptoms are normal, or that you may just be stressed. But this alone doesn’t necessarily equate to medical gaslighting. 

Below are some signs to look for if you think you may be experiencing medical gaslighting:

• Having your symptoms or concerns be dismissed or ignored without cause

• Feeling as if your healthcare provider is blaming you

• Your symptoms are written off as being normal without explanation

• Your diagnosis is fully or mostly based on your gender, race, sexuality, or irrelevant medical history without doing further testing

• Having to argue just to be listened to and taken seriously

What should I do if I think I’m being gaslighted by my doctor?

If you think you are being gaslighted by your healthcare provider, or other members of your care team, it can be a tricky situation. But there are steps you can take to deal with it. 

First, try to talk to them about how your concerns are real, and that you don’t feel you’re being helped properly. If that doesn’t work, here are some tips to help you take further steps and address the situation.

• Keep a symptom journal. Writing down symptom information, like when symptoms start and stop and what makes them better or worse, helps create a detailed record that you can bring to your appointment. 

• Prepare a list of questions. Make a list of questions you want answered, and use them to set the agenda for your visit. Your healthcare provider is trained in this and will recognize the phrase, “shared agenda setting.”

• Take a relative or friend with you. If someone you trust is available, bring them along to your appointment. They can act as your advocate and witness.

• Contact a patient advocate. Patient advocates serve as a liaison between you and your healthcare provider. They can help address any conflicts that may arise, including gaslighting. Many hospitals already have patient advocates in-house. You can also use this tool to help you locate a patient advocate near you. 

• Get a second opinion. It may help to talk to another medical professional about your concerns. For example, it may be helpful to find one with a shared gender, race, and/or ethnic background as you. Having another medical opinion will help you solidify if you’ve been gaslighted.

• File a complaint. Gaslighting can lead to serious consequences. If you aren’t properly treated because your claims have been dismissed, you may be able to file a medical malpractice or negligence lawsuit if you’ve been harmed or injured. Look here for more information. 

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Written by:

Aashna Gheewalla, B.S.

Aashna Gheewalla, B.S. was an editorial intern on the GoodRx Health team. She has a B.S. in Public Health from Rutgers University.

Edited by:

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, is the director of pharmacy content for GoodRx. She has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist and has worked in clinical, academic, and administrative roles.

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